For over 60 years, transportation planners have tried to slay the congestion dragon. As Toronto’s Board of Trade continually points out, the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) is overrun with cars and paying a huge price for congestion.

The only thing that really works in big cities is getting more people out of their cars through a focus on moving people rather than vehicles. Recognizing this reality, cities around the world are making the shift to safe and efficient multi-modal networks. But the Toronto Region seems to be having an unusually difficult time with this project.

The controversy over a proposed subway extension into the Toronto community of Scarborough is getting stranger by the day. My fear is that the City of Toronto will now raise taxes to add $1-billion more to the provincial and federal dollars pledged for this trophy project; and we will then build the biggest white elephant in our transportation history.

Subways are one important tool, yes. But so are Commuter Rail, Light Rail, Street Cars, Bus Rapid Transit, Buses, Taxis, Bikes and our own two feet. They all have their place, and great cities use them all in the appropriate places. Subways typically can carry up to 36,000 passengers per hour. They are extremely expensive and make sense only when demand for a particular route is high.

But the land bordering both of the proposed Scarborough subway routes is largely occupied by very-low intensity uses, and so is not suitable for high-density-type transit. If a subway is to make any sense, there would have to be an ironclad commitment to re-purpose these lands in a way that would make sense of this massive infrastructure investment by creating dense, compact, mixed-use transit-oriented neighbourhoods along the route. Otherwise, Toronto would just be repeating the dismal failures of the original University line and Sheppard line.

If we are going to credibly make the case for revenue tools, we have to also make the case for spending the money wisely

At the very least, provisions for a significant number of additional stops, forming transit hubs at reasonable spacing, should be “roughed in” for future build-out (with private-sector participation if necessary). Otherwise, Toronto would be completely wasting the city-building potential of the subway line, as the city unfortunately has done before.

Only a very rich society can be so wasteful. Are we becoming Saudi Arabia or Dubai, ready to build vanity subways with almost no stops while ignoring growing and urgent real needs elsewhere in the GTHA? And if we do this, what does it portend for the future and the rest of the transit investment plan? If we are going to credibly make the case for revenue tools, we have to also make the case for spending the money wisely.

We are in a strange place. These transportation projects are multi-decade efforts extending beyond the terms of single administrations. Yet we have no national policies or program — or, for that matter, even reliable provincial and municipal ones. Instead, our politicians seemingly prefer to randomly cherry pick ideas and pander based on short-sighted political calculations.

It’s not working. It is causing inertia, cynicism and a pervasive sense of failure. Somehow, every great city eventually does figure this issue out. Unless Torontonians are uniquely incompetent or dysfunctional, they will face this challenge. The Transit Investment Strategy Advisory Panel appointed by Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne is a good place to start.

National Post

Ken Greenberg is an architect, urban designer, teacher, writer, former Director of Urban Design and Architecture for the City of Toronto and Principal of Greenberg Consultants.

The link led to a column by Christopher Hume, the Star‘s urban affairs columnist and architecture critic. In said column, Mr. Hume raises some entirely valid, if hardly novel, points, namely that Toronto is a nice place to live, but much of that is due to good luck and good planning of earlier times. Given the current vacuum of credible and responsible leadership in the city (he cites Mayor Rob Ford and Toronto Transit Commissioner Karen Stintz by name), there’s every chance that the rapidly growing city may soon exhaust that reservoir of good fortune. Very true.

Where Mr. Hume moves away from the blindingly obvious into the realm of the abjectly wrong is when he says that, given the above, last week’s unilateral declaration by Glen Murray, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation, that the province would build a subway into Toronto’s Scarborough region, was the “right thing” to do.

Mr. Murray proclaimed that Ontario will end the bickering over what to build in Scarborough, and how to fund it, by simply cutting the city and the feds out of the loop and moving ahead on its own. He’s proposed, and the provincial agency tasked with overseeing transit in the Toronto region has approved, a two-stop (minimum) extension of an existing subway line into Scarborough. In so doing, Mr. Murray also took time to hurl insults and taunts at his colleagues at City Hall and in Ottawa, noting that despite much bluster and talk, none of them had come up with a dime to pay for anything. He even plucked a dime from his pocket for emphasis.

It was a lot of fun to watch Mr. Murray heap oh-so richly deserved scorn on the short-sighted, small-minded bumbling idiots (that’s you, City Council) who have made a mess of this. Scarborough already has a rapid transit system, but it is elderly and in need of replacement, soon. That this has proved beyond the abilities of Toronto’s elected councillors ought to humiliate them all. But you get the feeling they’re not quite self-aware enough to comprehend just how much disgrace they’ve brought on themselves. Mr. Murray rubbed their noses in it a bit. It was wonderful.

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But that doesn’t elevate the ridiculous transit proposal being peddled by Mr. Murray to the lofty status of the “right thing.” Mr. Murray’s subway proposal is objectively inferior to the existing agreement to build transit in Scarborough, which would have built an LRT through existing government lands (so not ripping up streets and taking away lanes of traffic). This LRT was fully funded, would have had many more conveniently located stops, could have been built probably within five years of construction starting and, while offering less passenger capacity than a subway, would have provided more than enough capacity for Scarborough’s specific needs. It is the better plan.

Instead, we get Mr. Murray’s plan, which can apparently be done on the same budget, but only if it includes two stops. If you want more, you pay more — compared to the LRT, it’s less service for the same money, or the same service for more. It will require significant modifications to existing transit infrastructure. It wastes money already spent on developing the LRT. The city is insisting that it needs final say and that the province cannot move ahead without Toronto’s say-so. Oh, and in the best case scenario, this line wouldn’t be operational until 2023, a horizon too far off to be credible.

What Mr. Hume lauds as the right thing to do is therefore anything but. Mr. Murray had every right to criticize his colleagues, and even can fairly make the claim that the province needs to push forward on its own (that’s legally tricky, but at least justifiable). But if Mr. Murray and the government he represents are going to go it alone, the least they can do is go it alone with a good plan. No such luck.

Mr. Murray’s announcement was was a delightful display of deserved scorn for Toronto’s failed municipal leaders. But Ontario, and Toronto in particular, need an effective Minister of Transportation. Mr. Murray seems to be more interested in being the Minister of Catharsis, instead. It feels good, no doubt. But making Rob Ford look bad isn’t enough to qualify as good public policy.

I’d like to the be first to congratulate the people of Scarborough, a suburban area of the city of Toronto, on Wednesday’s announcement by the Ontario government that a subway will be built into their neck of the woods. Brad Duguid, local member of provincial parliament and member of Premier Kathleen Wynne’s cabinet, called the announcement a dream come true.

Sure. So long as you’ve been dreaming of a needlessly expensive transit option that will take longer to build and move fewer people than the perfectly good light rail transit (LRT) option that always did, and still does, make more sense.

Understanding why Wednesday’s subway announcement is so frustrating requires getting into some nitty gritty details of transit planning that most people don’t care about. But the details matter. Subways are ideal for moving a lot of people quickly through densely populated areas, especially since, by virtue of running underground, they don’t interfere with daily life — especially traffic — at street level. This is why they make sense in major cities, even though subways are hellishly expensive.

But tunnelling underground simply isn’t necessary in the case of Scarborough. The area is already served by an above-ground transit system, one that is elderly and in need of replacement. A light rail system, running at ground level, could have been built relatively quickly along the same corridor that the existing system uses. This is key — it would use the same trajectory as the existing system. It would therefore not be disruptive to current neighbourhoods or street-level traffic.

Since there would be no expensive tunnelling or digging out of stations, the LRT plan could extend deep into Scarborough, and would have included seven stations. And the other main advantage of a subway — high passenger capacity — also isn’t a factor. The proposed LRT provided more than enough passenger capacity to account for projected ridership for decades to come. A subway along that route isn’t just overkill. It’s expensive, time-consuming overkill. The LRT plan was by far the superior one.

Right! Instead of a light rail train with seven stops, provincial Transportation Minister Glen Murray has proudly announced a subway that would include … two stops (though more may be added later … after research and consultations). The new plan requires re-engineering of existing station infrastructure to accommodate the physical requirements of subway trains.

All of this can apparently be done within the budget of $1.4-billion the province had already committed to the LRT, so theoretically, it’s a break even proposition. The problem is, of course, that the province has already spent some of the money on going ahead with the light rail plan — an estimated $85-million that the province wants Toronto to pay for. And it also doesn’t factor in adding additional stops and stations. If the province wants to make the Scarborough subway as convenient as the Scarborough LRT was going to be, it needs to add more stations. Where’s the money going to come from?

In short, the subway plan proposed Wednesday offers Torontonians much less service for the same money, or, potentially, equal service for much more money. This is madness, but an entirely predictable sort of madness. This is what transit planning in Toronto has become.

Tyler Anderson / National PostCommuters board the Scarborough RT transit line in Toronto.

And we all know why. Toronto Rob Ford, despite utterly failing (as Minister Murray gleefully pointed out during his remarks Wednesday) to find any way to fund his preference for subways over LRTs, has succeeded in convincing a great many Toronto voters that subways are always better than LRTs, just ’cause. Don’t bother trying to explain issues of passenger capacity, station infrastructure and costs-per-kilometre of track to a Subway Convert. They don’t care. They want subways because the Mayor said subways are better. That’s it, folks.

This is a very bad thing. The voters have been duped, sold a bill of goods that bears little resemblance to reality. Strong leadership from the province maybe — just maybe — could have sold the many virtues of an LRT in Scarborough’s specific case to the public. Instead, they’re simply going with the flow.

Minister Murray was right to point out that city council has failed, many times, to bring better transit to Toronto. Too bad he’s now doing the exact same thing. Congratulations again, Scarborough.

The Scarborough FairToronto has embarrassed itself yet again. Please feel free to point and giggle.

Ivor Tossell, writing for Maclean’s, accurately describes transit planning in Toronto as little more than “regional grievance with a tunnel fetish,” and concisely explains what happened at an altogether ridiculous City Council this week: Councillors threw out a perfectly good light-rail plan for Scarborough (in the east end of the city) that “was locked in and paid for,” and switched “to a plan that we don’t know how to pay for,” and that we don’t know the price of, and that very well “might not get built” no matter what the price, “which the mayor doesn’t totally understand, which we don’t need in the first place because Scarborough was going to get brand-new, top-rate transit anyway.” Why is transit in Toronto such a mess, you ask? This is why.

TheGlobe and Mail‘s Marcus Gee valiantly tries to put a positive spin on this debacle, which is that councillors and even Mayor Rob Ford finally acknowledged that if we really want subways, we’ll need to raise taxes to pay for them. Gee suggests this bodes well for a “sustained, comprehensive transit build-out” going forward. But it doesn’t. First of all, as Gee says, subways aren’t right for everywhere; but Council just recently kiboshed using new “revenue tools” to build a huge mixed bag of transit projects — light rail, busways, etc. — in the region. Secondly, the idea that because councillors voted to slightly raise property taxes for the Scarborough subway means that they’ll follow suit for, say, a Downtown Relief Line is somewhere between optimistic and delusional.

Oh, this is delicious. The Toronto Star‘s Martin Regg Cohn reports that the insufferable Adam Giambrone, whose candidacy for the New Democrats in a Scarborough by-election makes absolutely no sense and has a typically sleazy sheen thanks to him bigfooting an interesting young candidate he himself recruited, is now facing both an open revolt from party stalwarts and a legal challenge from said interesting candidate. Couldn’t happen to a nicer fellow.

Moving on to other Ontario news, in an interesting piece in the Globe, Adam Radwanski profiles Peter Wallace, the head of the Ontario Public Service who has an endearing habit of telling the Liberals things they don’t want to hear — such that their fiscal plan is “fantastical” — and inadvertently making them look bad when his advice, through no fault of his own, is revealed to the public.

Summer in HarperlandThe existence of a so-called Conservative “enemies list” is troubling enough on its own to the Star‘s editorialists, what with its Nixonian overtones. “Paranoia, secretiveness and bullying … have often served the government well politically,” they note. But they think “the fact that Harper was unable to suppress them even when it would have been politically expedient to do so” — i.e., as he was introducing his “reinvigorated, fresh-faced new cabinet” — “suggests just how deep-seated they are.”

Postmedia’s Andrew Coyne has obtained the list, incidentally, and you will be utterly shocked by some of its inhabitants!

In the Star, Diane Orihel, Britt Hall, Carol Kelly and John Ruddnote that the Experimental Lakes Area is in the riding of new science minister Greg Rickford — and that whereas once Rickford enthused about “Canada’s most innovative freshwater research centre,” when his party decided to badmouth and defund it he didn’t say a peep in its defence, instead happily parroting the party line. Interesting choice on Stephen Harper’s part.

The National Post‘s John Ivison thinks newly appointed Transport Minister Lisa Raitt, with her “no-nonsense, compassionate conservatism,” would make a fine “unity candidate” for Conservative leader, should such a candidate be required at some point down the line.

Alex Himelfarb, writing in the Star, promotes the theory that trust in politicians and engagement in politics erodes along with “social trust,” which is “the generalized belief that most people in a society can be trusted, including those quite different from ourselves.” Social trust is born of equality, Himelfarb argues, and “universal programs” such as “healthcare, childcare, education, income security, and access to justice … are the most effective by far in promoting equality.” He thinks that Canada, by allowing such things to erode, risks falling into a “social trap” wherein “people are not willing to pay the necessary taxes” to keep the trains running, because “each worries that they’re being ripped off by the other.” On that note, we would refer you to Toronto’s transit debacle, above.

Three-and-a-half years ago, the Toronto Transit Commission received a report on the causes of what came to be known as the “St. Clair Disaster” — the spectacularly over-budget and past-schedule streetcar right-of-way on St. Clair Avenue West. All’s well out there now, but interminable delays bankrupted businesses; inconvenienced an untold myriad; and, in the hands of Rob Ford, his campaign team and pliable councillors, discredited at-grade rapid transit to the point that even a fast train that doesn’t touch a single road is politically toxic. In short, St. Clair helped set transit in this city back another decade at least.

We’d be crazy to let it happen again. So let’s recall some of Richard M. Soberman’s and Les Kelman’s findings on St. Clair. An initial project budget of $48-million quickly became $65-million — 35% more — “following preparation of more thorough and detailed cost estimates.” (That was a pretty serious lack of thoroughness and detail.) Eventually, after interminable delays — resident protests, a court challenge, a judicial review, an appeal, and an unwelcome intervention on behalf of opponents from the province — the cost eventually reached $106-million.

Among the many, many missteps Mr. Soberman and Mr. Kelman identified were the following:

“The project scope changed while the project was under construction.”

“The Ontario Minister of the Environment was simply far too accommodating of matters raised by those opposed to the project…. Lack of closure plagued the entire implementation process.”

A lack of “centralized project management,” which “significantly reduce[s] the likelihood of ad hoc decisions that alter project scope and, more importantly, allows all projects to proceed under the same set of assumptions and procedures with a clear understanding of the decision-making process.”

Perhaps you see where I’m going with this.

On Wednesday, 28 money-burning transit vandals on City Council approved a three-stop extension of the Bloor-Danforth line in Scarborough, thus declaring their opposition to the aforementioned seven-stop LRT in its own right of way, which was self-evidently the best option for the funds available. Council’s “approval” of the subway is contingent upon receiving $1.8-billion from the province and 50% of the unspecified remaining shortfall — they have basically no idea how much this subway will cost, staff having been given 10 days to guesstimate — from the federal government.

Would you promise your 16-year-old son money on those terms? It’d be a safer investment.

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If these conditions don’t come to pass, we heard several times from centrist subway-supporters over the last two days, we will seamlessly revert to the LRT plan. No harm done! If you believe that, I’ve got a Finch Avenue subway to sell you.

Metrolinx says it has already spent $85-million on the LRT. Not only was the majority of Council willing to flush that down the john; but at one point TTC chair Karen Stintz, one of the chief architects of this madness, tabled a motion requesting $10-million so that the TTC could get to work immediately on the subway, before we knew if it would even get built! (The motion was ruled out of order.)

For the record, $85-mililion is nearly the entire figure by which the St. Clair Disaster went over budget.

For the record, $85-million is nearly the entire figure by which the St. Clair Disaster went over budget

In the role of Environment Minister Leona Dombrowsky, whose meddling delayed the St. Clair project, we have Transport Minister Glen Murray and the entire Liberal by-election machine, insinuating themselves upon a conversation between City Council and Metrolinx that was fractious enough as it was. We’ve had nearly three years of this back-and-forth insanity since Rob Ford took office. “Lack of closure,” one might say, “has plagued the entire implementation process.”

Indeed, Metrolinx was supposed to provide exactly the sort of “centralized management” that was lacking on St. Clair. As such, I’ve argued that it has been far too “accommodating” of City Council’s Detroitish dysfunction. Now the Liberals have elbowed Metrolinx aside to get their own fat piece of the action. And so now Mr. Murray and Kathleen Wynne stand with Rob Ford, who on Tuesday revealed that he didn’t even know what the Scarborough LRT was. He insisted to Council that it ran along roads, and I don’t think he was lying for effect. I think he believed it.

Enough is enough. What Metrolinx should do is call out the riot police and build the LRT anyway. But because it won’t, it shouldn’t wait until its threatened Aug. 2 deadline to stop work on the LRT. It should down tools today, lay everybody off, not spend another dime of taxpayer money on this excellent transit solution that City Council doesn’t want. This is already worse than the St. Clair disaster, not just financially but because City Council created it all by itself. There is no sense making it even more disastrous.

]]>http://news.nationalpost.com/toronto/chris-selley-rob-ford-and-his-money-burning-vandals-on-council-have-approved-a-mess-already-worse-than-the-st-claire-disaster/feed/0stdPJT-Ford-13.jpgTO0718_ScarboroughRT_C_JRToronto council votes in favour of Scarborough subway in major victory for Rob Fordhttp://news.nationalpost.com/toronto/absurd-not-even-remotely-close-councillors-question-feasibility-of-fords-subway-numbers
http://news.nationalpost.com/toronto/absurd-not-even-remotely-close-councillors-question-feasibility-of-fords-subway-numbers#commentsWed, 17 Jul 2013 18:12:37 +0000http://news.nationalpost.com/?p=339060

A victorious Mayor Rob Ford touted a “historic day for Toronto” after city council voted Wednesday to forge ahead with a Scarborough subway — but the project could still be derailed by the provincial and federal governments, who have yet to commit any funding.

The 28-16 vote to replace the previously approved Scarborough LRT with an extension of the Bloor-Danforth subway line, which would service the same corridor, is a major boost for the beleaguered mayor, whose 2014 re-election campaign will hinge on suburban support.

But it may be little more than a symbolic victory if Ottawa and Queen’s Park fail to deliver vital cash for the project. Council’s vote makes the subway plan contingent on a provincial contribution of $1.8-billion — the same amount initially allocated for the Scarborough LRT — and a federal contribution equalling 50% of the net capital costs.

“Today is truly an historic day for Toronto. We’re now moving ahead as promised with the first major Scarborough transit expansion in decades. The people of Scarborough have spoken and we have listened,” Mayor Ford told reporters after the vote, noting the subway would “unlock countless options” for residents of Scarborough who have long felt disconnected from the city core.

“There is no turning back, but the fight is not over; it’s far from over,” the mayor added. “We must start making up for lost time immediately. To succeed, we need all three levels of government at the table, working together and fully committed.”

Shortly after the vote, provincial Transportation Minister Glen Murray announced a news conference for Thursday afternoon at Kennedy GO station. A spokeswoman for federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Murray issued a news release saying Ottawa has “failed to be a significant player” in GTA transit funding, and noted: “This region cannot afford any more delays… Shovels in the ground, with hands from all three levels of government holding on to them, is what Ontarians deserve and look forward to.”

Metrolinx, the regional transit agency co-ordinating the Scarborough LRT, previously vowed to cease work on the Scarborough corridor unless council reaffirmed support for the LRT. After Wednesday’s vote, spokeswoman Anne Marie Aikins said Metrolinx would “consult with the Government of Ontario to determine next steps.”

Council set a deadline of Sept. 30 for the provincial and federal governments to commit their portion of funding, and while Mayor Ford said he was confident both would support the subway project, other councillors were not so sure.

MEGAN O'TOOLE/NATIONAL POSTToronto Mayor Rob Ford addresses the media at Toronto City Hall on Wednesday, July 17, 2013 about City Council's vote to approve a Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) subway expansion in Scarborough to replace the RT.

“I fear that Scarborough residents are now going to be put into the midst of limbo as we’re looking at hypothetical funding schemes,” said Councillor Josh Matlow, who also questioned the mayor’s willingness to raise property taxes to fund the Scarborough subway, estimated to cost $1-billion more than the LRT.

A report from city manager Joe Pennachetti indicated that in order to pay its share, the city would need to hike taxes by at least 1.1% over three years, with a minimum 0.5% increase in 2014. Mayor Ford had asked council to limit the increase to 0.25% annually, but his proposal — derided by Councillor John Filion as “absurd” and unrealistic — was narrowly defeated.

Higher taxes, deeper debt & a $billion transit fiasco. After three long years as mayor, Rob Ford has finally found his gravy train.

“After three long years, the mayor has finally found his gravy train,” Mr. Matlow said. “He’s raising taxes and putting the city seriously into debt for a three-stop subway, replacing a seven-stop, fully funded, grade-separated LRT.”

The subway vote came after 10 hours of debate that stretched over two days, pitting traditional allies against each other as councillors from across the political spectrum banded together to support the subway. Left-leaning councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker and TTC chair Karen Stintz, who has maintained a rocky relationship with the mayor over the years, both stood by his side during Mayor Ford’s victory speech.

Despite Wednesday’s vote, there is still no guarantee Scarborough will ever see its long-coveted subway, which is doomed without funding from higher-order governments.

“If we don’t have a federal partner, and we don’t have a provincial partner, then the LRT is still on the books — so at a minimum, Scarborough will get a replaced LRT,” Ms. Stintz said.

Although Mayor Ford on Tuesday raised (then quickly quashed) the notion of reallocating $333-million in federal funding for the Sheppard LRT to the Scarborough subway, Wednesday’s vote prevents any such transfer, stipulating that no funds can be moved from the Sheppard, Finch or Eglinton projects. The vote also prevents council from reallocating existing revenues from other city services to pay for the subway.

]]>http://news.nationalpost.com/toronto/absurd-not-even-remotely-close-councillors-question-feasibility-of-fords-subway-numbers/feed/3stdAfter 10 hours of debate, city council has voted to build a subway in Scarborough instead of the planned LRTTO0718_ScarboroughRT_C_JRMEGAN O'TOOLE/NATIONAL POSTCity manager confirms $333M in federal funding committed to Sheppard LRT as council resumes subway debatehttp://news.nationalpost.com/toronto/city-manager-confirms-333m-in-federal-funding-committed-to-sheppard-lrt-as-council-resumes-subway-debate
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As council resumed debate Wednesday on whether to build a Scarborough subway, city manager Joe Pennachetti released a briefing note to confirm that $333-million in federal transit funding was “committed” to the Sheppard LRT.

The issue became a turning point in the ongoing subway debate Tuesday, when Mayor Rob Ford suggested the $333-million could be reallocated to the Scarborough subway; he later retreated from that notion.

Mr. Pennachetti’s note states that after Ottawa announced $333-million for the Sheppard LRT in 2009, the city signed a master agreement with Metrolinx and the TTC to confirm a program budget including “funds committed by the Government of Canada, in the amount of $333-million in respect of the Sheppard East LRT.”

Council is expected to vote later Wednesday on whether to move ahead with the Scarborough subway proposal, which would extend the Bloor-Danforth line and replace a planned light-rail line along that corridor.

The issue has bitterly divided councillors, with some saying Scarborough deserves a subway link to the rest of the city, and others arguing the fully funded LRT would be a cheaper and more effective option.

National Post

]]>http://news.nationalpost.com/toronto/city-manager-confirms-333m-in-federal-funding-committed-to-sheppard-lrt-as-council-resumes-subway-debate/feed/2stdAfter 10 hours of debate, city council has voted to build a subway in Scarborough instead of the planned LRTRob Ford ready to raise taxes to pay for Scarborough subway linehttp://news.nationalpost.com/toronto/rob-ford-ready-to-raise-taxes-to-pay-for-scarborough-subway-line
http://news.nationalpost.com/toronto/rob-ford-ready-to-raise-taxes-to-pay-for-scarborough-subway-line#commentsSat, 13 Jul 2013 00:07:10 +0000http://news.nationalpost.com/?p=337419

Mayor Rob Ford says he is prepared to hike property taxes to pay for a Scarborough subway line, despite a new staff report that warns the project could jeopardize other Toronto transit priorities.

The report from city manager Joe Pennachetti and Toronto Transit Commission chief executive officer Andy Byford confirms it would cost about $1-billion extra to convert the planned Scarborough light rapid transit (LRT) to a subway line. The money could be raised in part through a property tax increase of at least 1.1% spread over three years.

Mr. Ford took the report as a sign his long-held subway dream would become a reality.

“I truly believe we have great news today, that we’ve agreed on a subway to Scarborough,” he told reporters at a Friday afternoon news conference, also attended by Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday and TTC chairwoman Karen Stintz.

“I support the people of Scarborough and the people of Scarborough want subways. They’ve said that loud and clear,” the mayor noted.

“[At last week’s Ford Fest], not one person came up to me and said they want an LRT. Thousands of people were chanting ‘subway, subway, subway.'”

The report on rapid-transit options for Scarborough outlines two choices for council’s consideration at next week’s meeting.

The first is to stick with the existing plan to build an LRT in Scarborough, as dictated by a master agreement among the city, the TTC and regional transit agency Metrolinx.

The second option states that if council instead opts for a Scarborough subway, the city must revise its funding agreement with Metrolinx and council must commit to funding the city’s share of costs.

Under that scenario, the $1.8-billion in provincial funding currently budgeted for the Scarborough LRT would have to be transferred to the subway project, the mayor noted. The reports also anticipates revenue from development charges and federal infrastructure funding.

Mr. Ford commissioned the report after Metrolinx asked council for clarity on what type of transit it wants to build in Scarborough. Despite the pre-existing LRT agreement, council voted in May to support extending the Bloor-Danforth subway line to Scarborough Centre and Sheppard Avenue.

To help pay for the subway, Mr. Ford said he would support a minimal tax hike of 0.25% annually, which he estimates would amount to $5 a household. Mr. Pennachetti said it would be feasible to keep the tax hike that low if it was spread across four years, instead of the proposed three.

“I’m the last, last person to ever push for any tax increase but I call this an investment [in economic growth],” Mr. Ford said, noting he would meet federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty Saturday to seek a federal contribution to the project and provincial Transportation Minister Glen Murray Monday.

For his part, Mr. Murray reiterated Ontario has made no commitment to fund a subway project, but should council vote that way, “I will be looking for a viable business plan.”

Although the staff report raises questions about how the costlier Scarborough subway could impact funding streams for other key transit projects, such as the Downtown Relief Line, Ms. Stintz called it the “right subway” for Toronto to build.

“If we make this investment, we will spur development along the line as well,” she said.

Toronto Police have identified the man charged with allegedly killing his parents in their Scarborough home on Easter Sunday.

Li Tian Jia, 26, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder after officers found the assailant’s father Ji (George) Jia, 59, and mother Shi (Shirley) Zhou, 51, dead in their two-storey residence around 10 a.m. Sunday.

“It is a family issue,” Det. Sgt. Dean Burks told the media. “I’m not going to elaborate on whether or not there was any kind of domestic dispute or altercation leading up to the death of both the individuals.”

The cousin of the accused fled to a pay phone early Sunday morning to call police. Mr. Li was arrested at the scene of the crime.

TORONTO — A 72-year-old woman is dead after being assaulted at a senior citizens residence in east-end Toronto late Wednesday.

Police say a 91-year-old woman was also assaulted at Wexford Residence and she is hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

A 72-year-old man was arrested at the scene on Lawrence Ave. near Pharmacy Ave., and police say charges are pending.

Police say all three people lived at the residence.

“The homicide squad has taken carriage of the investigation and we are now in the process of interviewing staff and tenants that were here as we try to put the pieces of the puzzle together,” Det. Sgt. Wayne Banks told CP24 on Thursday morning.

No names have been released. A weapon was used in the attack, the CBC reported, but police have not said what it was.

Toronto Police believe a Scarborough fire that destroyed one house under construction and damaged neighbouring homes Tuesday morning was no accident.

Emergency crews arrived at 141 Byng Ave, near Pharmacy and Danforth avenues, at 6:15 a.m. after receiving a call about a fire. Police say a fire was started in a house under construction, and spread to neighbouring homes.

No injuries have been reported.

When officers arrived on the scene, they noticed there was gas poured on a parked car, as well as two homes in the area, said Const. Tony Vella.

A person in the area has been indicated as a person of interest, said Const. Vella, adding the individual was brought to the local station for further questioning.

Toronto police are working with the Fire Marshall’s office in the investigation, and are urging any witnesses to come forward.

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — A single mother of three whose body parts were found scattered in Toronto-area waterways over the past week had told her neighbours she was planning to return to her native China.

Hua Guang Liu, 41, was reported missing on Aug. 11, one day after her friends dropped her off in front of a now-defunct spa she owned in east Toronto.

Jong Soon Suh, the owner of a dry cleaning business located in the same building, says Liu was planning to leave Canada just months after opening the spa because her former husband had decided to return to China.

Liu lived in east-end Toronto with an adult child. Police said two younger children lived with their father.

On Aug. 15, police found Liu’s right foot in the Credit River in Mississauga, Ont., about 45 kilometres west of where she lived.

Her head and hands were later discovered in the river in the Hewick Meadows Park area. And over the weekend, two calves, a thigh and an arm were found in West Highland Creek, just blocks away from her home.

Investigators are not yet speaking about suspects, but they say they don’t believe at this point there are other victims.

]]>http://news.nationalpost.com/toronto/body-parts-victim-planned-to-move-to-china-with-former-husband-neighbours-say/feed/0stdPeel Regional Police Constable Erin Cooper holds a photo during a press conference in Mississauga, Ont., Tuesday, August 21, 2012 of Hua Guang Liu as they announce the body parts found in Toronto and Mississauga last week belonged to the 41-year old single mother of three.Five things to do this week: August 4-10http://news.nationalpost.com/toronto/five-things-to-do-this-week-august-4-10
http://news.nationalpost.com/toronto/five-things-to-do-this-week-august-4-10#commentsFri, 03 Aug 2012 15:50:27 +0000http://news.nationalpost.com/?p=200134

1. CULTURE: This year’s edition of the Island Soul Festival is a birthday party of sorts for both Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago, as the two nations celebrate 50 years of independence. The celebrations will include plenty of music, dance, food and family fun, including Afrafranto, a palmwine band playing the traditional calypso-derived melodies of West Africa; reggae stalwart Duane Stephenson; a drumming workshop led by Trinidad-born master Muhtadi; demos on how to make Coconut Curried Crab and Light Fruit Cake; a performance by the Afro-Caribbean Drum and Dance Theatre; a fire limbo/ Socacize workshop; a dominos tournament; crafts and face-painting; and a story-telling corner with keeper of Jamaican culture Louise Bennett-Coverley, or Miss Lou, as she’s known around the world. In other words, plenty to eat, see and do!
• Through August 6. Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W. Free; for details and a full schedule of events and activities, visit harbourfrontcentre.com/summer/islandsoul.

2. ART: Now in its 10th year, and touting itself as “the original” Square Foot Show (there have been imitators of varying success of late), this gathering of emerging and established artists from various backgrounds and disciplines is a great chance to get out and find an accent piece for that nook, or a statement piece for a bedroom or foyer. Each piece is restricted to a 12-inch by 12-inch canvas (or other backboard structure), and each one will go for a nice cool $225. Of course, the whole show is also an excuse for one of the year’s coolest parties, too, with participating artists from Canada and beyond in attendance on Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. to mix and mingle with prospective patrons amid the inspiring atmosphere of more than a thousand colourful pieces. Take note, though: the exhibit has long since outgrown its AWOL space and is being held off-site. See full address below.
• August 4 to 19. Twist Gallery, 1100 Queen St. W., 2nd floor. Free; visit awolgallery.com/square_foot/2012 for full details.

3. CIVIC CELEBRATIONS: It may have been in the news for all the wrong reasons of late, but that’s all the more reason to get out and show your civic pride in Scarborough this weekend at the Simcoe Day Long Weekend festivities at the Scarborough Museum. Tour the historic buildings on the site; take in plays celebrating the Victorian history of the environs, put on by the Scene Change Players, a local youth group theatre; sample treats made in the historic kitchens; and take in two exhibitions dedicated to the area: Destination Scarborough, a collaborative show exploring the histories of the residents who’ve settled in the area; and Impressions of Scarborough, a printmaking project that takes the borough’s history and artifacts as a jumping-off point, but involves local youth learning the craft in its creations. If you work up a major appetite during all of that, the Rotary Club’s popular ribfest is conveniently happening right next door in Thomson Memorial Park.
• Through August 6. Sat., Sun.: noon-5 p.m., Mon.: noon-6 p.m. 1007 Brimley Rd. (inside the park). Admission: PWYC; visit toronto.ca/scarboroughmuseum and scarboroughribfest.com for full details.

4. MUSIC: What’s even better than having Daft Punk playing at your house? How about the two French electro-pop acts who’ve acted as their creative heirs for the past decade playing on the front lawn of your city? Hard Toronto presents M83 and Justice on the Garrison Common at Fort York, and we can’t think of a better place than under a big blue sky to take in the diverging fortunes of these two groups. Justice, who rocketed to fame on back of 2006 single We Are Your Friends, haven’t exactly been enjoying stellar reviews for their latest, Audio, Video, Disco, described by some critics as overly-prog and without memorable melodies. But we bet they’ll play a few crowd faves. You could pretty much describe M83’s 2011 release, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, as its polar opposite. Full of iconic keyboard and synthesizer licks and the best floating, airy lyrics since Depeche Mode was still in its prime, songs from the disc, such as Midnight City and Reunion, have become the de facto millenial anthems of this decade, so get ready to congregate and sing!
• August 4, 4 p.m. Fort York, Garrison Common, 100 Garrison Rd. $49-$69; for tickets, visit Soundscapes, Rotate This or Ticketweb.ca.

5. SPORT: With the London Olympic Games tourney wrapped up, and Flushing Meadows and the final Grand Slam of the year just around the corner, the storylines for this year’s Rogers Cup Men’s Tennis Tournament are going to be intriguing. And that includes Thornhill’s own Milos Raonic, who was involved in a record-breaking match in London in which he lost 23-25 in the final set. And yes, Tsonga is expected in Toronto, so there could be a rematch. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are also scheduled to be part of the draw at the Rexall Tennis Centre, and the trio arguably form the core group of the richest crop of men’s players in the history of the game. If that’s not enough to set your racquet senses fluttering, consider this: No. 1 Federer and No. 2 Djokovic are currently within 75 points of each other on the ATP tour rankings, so there could very well be a new No. 1 player in the world crowned in North York this year.
• August 4 to 12. Rexall Centre, York University, 1 Shoreham Dr. $25-$330 (site access free during qualifying, Aug. 4 and 5); visit rogerscup.com for details and tickets.

Re: Hennessy The Cognac Of Rappers And Partiers Alike, July 19.
Let me see if I have got it right. Someone who lives in “community housing,” i.e., subsidized by the taxpayer, was able to pay $1,440 for cognac to serve at a block party. That’s quite a lot of spare cash for someone who is presumably in unfortunate economic circumstances.
I imagine no liquor licence was secured for the party, so in addition to the gun violence there appears to be a pattern of flouting provincial liquor laws on a regular basis, particularly in the presence of minors. And what were children doing at a block party anyway? What kind of choice is that to make for a child? This is a classic case of the “broken windows” theory in operation.
Small acts of lawlessness and bad parenting are ignored and buried, so the ante gets raised every time. Perhaps the adults in this city can finally have an honest conversation about the reality of this problem, instead of continuing to ignore the consistently bad choices made by many of the residents of these “community housing” projects. Without an acknowledgement of personal responsibility, without having better moral expectations, actual deterrents and severe punishments for bad behaviour and anti-social choices, nothing will change. Laura Rosen Cohen, Toronto.

A common thread runs through most shootings in Toronto, which is the real elephant in the room. Where are the fathers? How many of these shooters were raised by women only? Karen Turner, New Westminster, B.C.

You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Let’s financially reward fathers who marry and who help bring up their children. We pay the mothers to stay home and take care of their children. Let’s pay the fathers as well. This is a universal problem in Canada, and therefore it should be applied as a universal benefit. Jonathan Usher, Toronto.

Don’t blame the weapons

Re: How To Stop The Killing, letters to the editor, July 19.
The “ban the handgun” chorus is always the first thing out of the so called progressives whenever the latest act of heinous violence strikes. Banning them might even might be a good idea, had the effective ban on handguns years ago not been proven entirely ineffective against the tide of weapons available in the black market. The weapons used in recent shootings will undoubtedly be found to be illegal to own, use or carry, particularly by those using them. It’s ironic that many of the same people who dramatically call for a ban on handguns are the same who will ridicule the equally ineffective ban on narcotics in the war on drugs.
Both bans will always be futile against the willingness of some people to traffic, purchase and use them. The better question was posed by several family members of the victims: “How could someone be so callous to take innocent life so carelessly?” That is the pertinent question, indeed. Sadly, the roots of the problem are family breakdown, poverty, addiction, poor role models and lack of opportunity. Philip C. Deck, Toronto.

It starts with detection

There is a relatively simple way of getting a lot of guns off Toronto. And that is by equipping police with portable metal detectors. Selected sites for metal detector placement — a building, a nightclub, a park, a mall, a school — could be made without notice. Passing through the metal detectors will be strictly voluntary, but you don’t get in unless you pass through. Gun-toting criminals, never being sure of where or when the metal detectors will be set up, will be deterred from carrying weapons, fearful of losing their guns. Fred Loftin, Toronto.

Vindication for my grandparents

Re: Who Is Ladislaus Csizsik-Csatary?, Bernie M. Farber, July 19.
The arrest of Ladislaus Csizsik-Csatary gives me a certain amount of pleasure. Since he was police chief in Kosice, I believe he was directly responsible for sending my grandparents to their deaths in Auschwitz. Though my grandparents knew of my birth, I never had the opportunity to meet with them and experience a childhood with grandparents. That such a pig was able to live in peace for nearly 30 years in Canada disgusts me. Joseph Berger, Toronto.

Canada’s success is due to fiscal conservatism

Re: The Triumph Of ‘Hard-Headed Socialism,’ Jonathan Kay, July 19.
Socialism is never a good thing. It breeds a culture of dependency and entitlement. Further, Jonathan Kay implies that Paul Martin set in motion a regulatory scheme that keeps the Canadian economy on auto-pilot. While Mr. Martin deserves credit for tackling the debt crisis built up over the Trudeau and Mulroney years and for intervention over bank mergers, it ends there. He was frightfully connected to Maurice Strong, godfather of the Kyoto Protocol.
Had the Liberals continued to govern, we would be hopelessly connected to this socialist scheme. Nationalized daycare, their pet socialist policy, would be straining revenues.
In truth, the stability we currently enjoy has much to do with the machinations of the Harper government and yes, fiscal conservatism does make sense. Pro growth, pro trade policies are a conservative trademark and that 2008 stimulus debt, though regrettable, is manageable. Shirley Blair, Burlington, Ont.

Jonathan Kay asks, “Is there a name for a policy that combines fiscal responsibility with a thick safety net, including universal health care?” There is indeed. That’s genuine Canadian conservatism, as opposed to the phony made-in-the U.S.A. variety. William Cooke, Toronto.

Would George Jonas be so kind and elucidate the essence and practices of socialism to Jonathan Kay in view of his enthusiasm for the juvenile idiotic of concept of “hard-headed socialism”? Mr. Jonas’ guidance help would be beneficial to many on the Post payroll. Mirko Macalik, Halifax.

Jonathan Kay quotes with approval a claim that, in the 1990s, Canada resisted the “siren call” of relaxing bank reserve requirements. In fact, Canada eliminated traditional bank reserve requirements in the 1990s. They were replaced with capital adequacy requirements that do not require any reserves. Instead, banks must now limit asset holdings to 20 times their Tier I capital, after applying risk-adjustment factors adopted after the Basel Conventions. American banks still face reserve requirements depending on their size, as well as capital adequacy requirements.
It is ridiculous to claim that so-called “socialism” made Canada rich compared to the United States. The housing bubble in the U.S. grew through government interference in their banking operations, including a requirement that 56% of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lending must go to low-income borrowers.
Big-state socialism does not guarantee a country will avoid such blunders, but does create conditions for the sovereign debt crisis now playing out in Europe. Ross McKitrick, Guelph, Ont.

If we’re going to ignore the various definitions of socialism that talk about worker ownership of the means of production and just use it for government spending, could we at least put a few limiters on? Like saying government spending on things that aren’t social programs doesn’t count in these comparisons. That’s a really big portion of the U.S. budget, where defence spending by various agencies and interest on defence-related debts total US$1.2-trillion.
It’s also a bit odd to be calling social spending “socialism” when the top countries on the Global Competitiveness Index, like Sweden, Finland and Switzerland, are all big “socialists.” Seems socialism is pretty good for capitalism. Alex Sobolewski, Hamilton, Ont.

Most political labels are meaningless

It seems to me that the National Post and its columnists spend far too much time dividing the world into liberals and conservatives; pro-government intervention and anti.
Rather than look at the world in terms of “statism [the belief that a government should control either economic or social policy or both to some degree],” how about looking at it in terms of “reasonablism.” Sometimes you need more government, sometimes less. There may indeed be more than one reasonable approach within a particular issue, but we should look at each issue as it arises, and we need not be afraid of being labelled pro- or anti- statism. Just approaching every issue from the perspective of ‘I am a liberal/conservative, and straying from that philosophy is weakness’ is not the way to approach how a country is run. Benjamin Kranc, Toronto.

Canada: A sweet nation

Re: Illegal Kinder Eggs A Border Surprise, July 19.
I first thought a U.S. border guard was over-zealous when he detained a Seattle couple for two hours for bringing Kinder Eggs back home after their Vancouver visit. Then the penny dropped. We can thank this rather bizarre ban for Canada’s reputation of being a kinder, gentler and yes, sweeter nation. Jim Sanders, Guelph, Ont.

Stop the Bethune-bashing

Re: Why Honour A Stooge For Mao?, letters to the editor, July 19; Norman Bethune’s Ideas Have Saved Many Lives, letter to the editor, July 17.
Most Canadians would agree that Communists complicit in genocide should be denounced. Recently, Canadian Dr. Norman Bethune has emerged as a poster boy for communist scoundrels.
Why? Because Museums Canada has spent $2.5-million on refurbishing the Bethune homestead/museum in Gravenhurst, Ont. Visiting it appeals to some of the 300 million Chinese who revere Bethune and who can afford the travel.
Bethune detractors should keep in mind that his China involvement was from March 1937 until his death in November, 1939. During this 21-month period, he ministered to Mao Zedong’s wounded soldiers in the field as they fought the Japanese invaders. Bethune effectively “invented” the MASH unit.
Thus, to vilify Bethune (from the grave) as an enabler and abettor of Mao’s post-Second World War atrocities is simply getting history wrong. Warren Adamson, Mississauga, Ont.

Norman Bethune died in 1939 while tending to the wounds of Chinese soldiers, who were fighting the Japanese invading their country. Mao Zedong came to power in 1949, and his objectionable policies came into effect years later. Enough Bethune-bashing, already. Brian L. Evans, Edmonton.

Stop drinking the equality Kool-Aid

Re: We’re The Spoilt Rich Kids At The Olympics, Andrew Coyne, July 17.
Andrew Coyne argues that winning medals at the Olympics is the result of a country’s population size and wealth. The resulting spectacle of big, rich countries beating up small, poor ones, he argues, is shameful. To even out the playing field, points and medals should be given to small, poor countries, or taken away from large, rich countries. Or, large, rich countries should just transfer wealth to the small, poor countries.
Mr. Coyne has apparently drunk the Kool-Aid of group or collective equality, arguing that every group or category (origin, race, religion, sex, sexual preference, physical characteristic) should be equal in wealth, prestige, participation, and power — regardless of individual preference, capability or potential.
Perhaps Mr. Coyne would endorse, for Olympic athletes from large, rich countries, the measures used to ensure equality described in Kurt Vonnegut’s Harrison Bergeron: weights and blinders to impede their excellent capabilities, so as to give a better chance to the slower, less skilled athletes from other countries.
Mr. Coyne displays in this column the absurdities to which an obsession with equality of results brings us. The actual efforts and capabilities of individuals are overridden by some imaginary world where everyone is the same. And the control of results is taken from individual participants and handed to a bureaucratic hierarchy pursuing its own purposes. Philip Carl Salzman, Ottawa.

Heaven help us

Re: Israel’s Cowardly Enemies, editorial, July 19.
History is repeating itself. As your editorial states, “it was Jews killed in Munich … tomorrow it could be Christians, or Hindus or Muslims.”
There you have it — religious wars are back, like we’ve had for hundreds of years. It’s not about race or ethnicity or land mass any longer; it’s all about religion. But which religion is going after the Jewish religion? And why? Why did we have religious wars in the first place? Perhaps Christopher Hitchens was correct when he said religion spoils everything.
Heaven help us (but who’s version of Heaven should we pray to now, and will it make any difference?). David Saul, Toronto.

Mexican embassy responds

Re: Invasion Of The Drug Cartels, info-graphic, July 13.
This graphic provides a sensationalist view of drug trafficking in North America. This is not a problem that is exclusive to Mexico, nor can it be explained by simplistic, one-dimensional arrows flowing northward.
Interactions between criminal groups within our region are complex, as indicated by recent cases of Canadian nationals with extensive criminal records or outstanding international warrants who have been found operating in Mexico. The expansion of illegal distribution networks is based on the active participation of local actors wherever there is a demand for drugs, and this is something that every society must acknowledge.
Our governments have recognized their shared responsibility in facing the challenge posed by transnational organized crime. We have expanded our co-operation and stepped up our respective efforts within each national jurisdiction. A correct understanding of the problems we face is fundamental to our long-term success. Francisco Barrio Terrazas, ambassador of Mexico, Ottawa.

TORONTO — Toronto police have identified a man killed on a school playground early this morning, but say there is no connection with this week’s mass shooting.

Daniel Davis, 27, was pronounced dead from gunshot wounds shortly after officers arrived at a playground in the Lawrence and Varna Drive area around 1 a.m.

Police say they are looking for suspects in his death. Davis is the city’s 30th homicide victim this year, and the fourth shooting death in three nights. On Tuesday night a man was shot and killed at a soccer field in the west end. Police say there is nothing to suggest Davis’s death is linked to Monday’s shooting at an east-end block party that killed two young people and injured more than 20 others.

It was the fourth deadly shooting in three nights in the city, following a man who was shot and killed in a soccer field in the west end on Tuesday and a high-profile shootout that killed two young people and injured 24 others at a block party in Scarborough on Monday night.

In light of the spate of shootings, Mayor Rob Ford plans to ask Premier Dalton McGuinty to pay for more police officers dedicated to a special Toronto squad that swoops into areas under siege.

The provincial government has invested about $35-million since 2006 in the Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy, known as TAVIS, and is often heralded for its efforts in combating gun and gang violence. The mayor will make his request for more money during a Monday meeting, he announced on a televised interview with CP24’s Stephen LeDrew.

His approach comes amid a flurry of suggestions from politicians grappling with how to respond to the worst shooting in the city’s history, from imposing curfews on anyone 14-or-under to pouring more money into youth mentorship programs. Two innocent people were killed and 24 others injured when gunfire broke out at a block party on Scarborough’s Danzig Street Monday night in what police believe to be a gang-related shootout.

Aaron Vincent Elkaim / The Canadian Press Police examine a baseball cap at the scene of a shooting that took place early Thursday morning at a school yard in the Lawrence Heights area of Toronto on Thursday July 19, 2012.

“I want meetings, I want something to be done,” said Mr. Ford. “I want these people out of the city and I’m not going to stop. Not put them in jail and then come back and you can live in the city. No, I want them out of the city. Go somewhere else, I don’t want them living in the city anymore.”

Mr. Ford, who described the scene of the shooting as a “war zone,” said he will also press Prime Minister Stephen Harper for tougher sentences. “Three years for possession of a handgun? That’s nonsense. They should do some serious, hard time, and not come back here.”

In Manitoba on Wednesday, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said the federal government has taken steps to combat guns and gangs, such as imposing tougher sentences and bail conditions for serious gun crimes and dedicating $7.5-million annually for projects that help youngsters “steer clear of and escape gangs.”

Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti echoed the mayor’s call for stiffer sentences. He also wants councillors to reconsider one idea he floated a few years ago: a curfew of 10 p.m., or whenever the street lights are on, for anyone 14 or under.

“I think we’re going to have a really bad summer with the gun,” he said. “To allow children to go out partying at night is the wrong thing to do. If the parents don’t want to take control then the government should take control and the only way we can do that is with a curfew.”

Other councillors accused the mayor of turning to sound bites instead of real solutions.

“Declaring a ‘war on gangs’ is like declaring a war on the weather,” wrote North York Councillor Maria Augimeri in an email. She says part of the solution is to spend more money on youth outreach workers, making more community centres free, investing in childcare, nutrition programs and other initiatives that address the income gap.

“We need big bold strategy moves, not just I’m going to run thugs out of town on a bus,” added Don Valley East Councillor Shelley Carroll, who thinks the mayor should call a special meeting to talk about how to create “broader prosperity” in Toronto.

Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday says he is willing to look at investing more money in policing or in youth programs, but he needs to see a business case that shows it will make a difference. Mr. Ford, who was the only member of council to vote against a slew of community grants at a council meeting last week, and also opposed taking money from the federal government for a gang-prevention program, told Mr. LeDrew “the best social program is a job.”

With files from Natalie Alcoba, National Post, and The Canadian Press

]]>http://news.nationalpost.com/toronto/latest-toronto-shooting-not-connected-to-mondays-gunfight-police/feed/0stdToronto police have identified a man killed on a school playground early this morning, but say there is no connection with this week’s mass shooting. Daniel Davis, 27, was pronounced dead from gunshot wounds shortly after officers arrived at the playground (in the Lawrence and Varna Drive area) around 1 a.m.Toronto FOURTH SHOOTINGPolice examine a baseball cap at the scene of a shooting that took place early Thursday morning at a school yard in the Lawrence Heights area of Toronto on Thursday July 19, 2012. Shyanne Charles, Joshua YasayToday’s letters: How do we stop the killing?http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/todays-letters-how-do-we-stop-the-killing
http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/todays-letters-how-do-we-stop-the-killing#commentsThu, 19 Jul 2012 12:30:44 +0000http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/?p=85308

Is gun control the answer?

Re: ‘Time To Take Action’ Against Thugs: Mayor; ‘Spineless Cowards,’ July 18.
Actually, Toronto gangs do have a spine, or at least a scaffolding — it consists of concealable semi-automatic handguns. How about doing something about that? A good start would indeed be to ban the sale and possession of ammunition clips used in semi-automatics, and a law that mandates the safe storage of all semi-automatic weapons in secure facilities. At the very least, this would drive up the price of street guns.
Such weapons should “live” only at secure gun ranges, so that we can live in peace in what used to be called “Toronto the Good.” Ron Charach, Toronto.

Let’s clarify the obvious here: Canada does not have a “gun problem.” It does, however, continue to have a deadly hole the size of a hollow point bullet ripping through its Criminal Code regarding criminals who possess and use illegal firearms. Let’s call Parliament back for an emergency vote on revising the Criminal Code of Canada to include the following penalties: 15 years, no parole, for anyone found guilty in a court of law for possession of an illegal firearm; 25 years, no parole, for anyone found guilty in a court of law of a criminal offence using an illegal firearm. Problem solved. Mark Evans, Toronto.

There is little police can do

In the aftermath of the senseless shooting in Toronto, there will be the usual questions as to why and what can be done. The idea that we are all responsible for the behaviour of a few dysfunctional members of our society suggests both a pathological need by some to absorb the guilt of others, and an egotistical belief that society as a whole has the power to control individual action. The police will do what they always do, round up the usual suspects, and bring closure to this case, but not an end to violence. An end to violence rests as much in the hands of the perpetrator, as it does of those who would end it. Jeff Spooner, Kinburn, Ont.

Religion is the key

The solution for Toronto’s gang and violence problem is not more laws, more police, more courts and more prison. What needs to change are hearts. Shortly after I came to this peaceful country, province and city more than 40 years ago, the Lord’s Prayer, with its attendant message of “love of neighbour,” was removed from schools. Those responsible for that removal might reflect on what has happened. Even the most ignorant can cause destruction — construction requires a different approach. David A. Hogg, Toronto.

Build more youth centres

The recent shootings in Toronto will likely perpetuate the knee-jerk but politically popular shell-game responses that continues to mask the real problem: a failure to invest in our youth. Quebec funds 300 youth centres across the province, and in return the province has the lowest youth crime rate in the country. Meanwhile, youth centres in Ontario are closing due to a lack of funding from all levels of government. Yes, cutbacks on prevention does increase youth crime, but ramping up fear and hysteria increases police budgets — a sure formula for getting re-elected. Kevin Morris, Venosta, Que.

Drug legalization may help

How do gangs afford their guns? After all, a “clean” automatic handgun (one that hasn’t been involved in a crime) can cost thousands. The answer should be obvious: from proceeds accrued from the drug trade and prostitution. Legalize or decriminalize drugs and prostitution and the gangs’ major sources of profits will disappear.
History provides a lesson, in that prohibition of alcohol created Al Capone and his ilk. The ban on alcohol gave them the profits to buy Tommy guns and created the conditions that led to the Valentine’s Day Massacre. Alcohol has long since been legalized, and the result is we no longer see bootleggers shooting each other (and innocent bystanders). There is every reason to suppose that the decriminalization or legalization of drugs and prostitution would have the same effect.
Unless we change these laws, we must accept these tragic shootings as a consequence of our policies. Adam Stork, Toronto.

Get even tougher on drugs

Re: Governments Can’t Fix This, editorial, July 18.
So, the National Post believes governments can’t fix Toronto’s crime problem. Really? In the private sector, companies look at “industry best practices” for solutions. Which brings us to Singapore, possibly the cleanest, safest jurisdiction on Earth, not to mention prosperous with full employment.
Upon landing in Singapore, the arrival card clearly states that drug traffickers will be executed. The offender will not die of old age before the penalty is carried out. This deterrent is such that the penalty is rarely needed.
Singapore is also multi-racial, with a British-based court system. Tough treatment of criminals with penalties that are swift, certain and severe works beautifully to eliminate crime. Thomas Calvert, Oakville, Ont.

Re: Drug Traffickers No Better Than Vermin, letter to the editor, July 17.
Letter-writer Diane V. Carr states: “All individuals caught promoting, facilitating and profiting from the sale of drugs would be considered to be vermin. We exterminate vermin in this country.” Does her solution include deadly drugs like nicotine? Or just politically selected drugs like marijuana? Kirk Muse, Mesa, Ariz.

Many new Canadians don’t share our values

For someone who grew up in the Toronto of the 1940s and 50s, where gangs and gun violence was unheard of, it is clear to me that today’s problem is a direct consequence of the enormous demographic shift in Toronto’s makeup. There has been an influx of people with cultures and values that are anathema to what most Canadians aspire to. What goes around comes around, and to ignore the elephant in the room will not make it go away. Morton Doran, Fairmont, B.C.

And don’t forget moles

One of the best ways to fight armed gangs is to destroy them from the inside by planting specially trained spies (moles) in their midst. Government spy agencies have been using this approach successfully for years. William Bedford, Toronto.

Why honour a stooge for Mao?

Re: Norman Bethune’s Ideas Have Saved Many Lives, letter to the editor, July 17.
I cannot dispute the facts put forth by Dr. Edward M. Conway on Dr. Norman Bethune’s contribution to medicine. But one cannot ignore the company with whom he chose to associate. He ascribed to the teachings of Mao, who perpetuated mass elimination of his enemies in the Cultural Revolution in China. He sided with a regime that was responsible for the mass murder of nationalist Chinese and others who opposed Mao’s brutal takeover of China. Why is it proper to laud an individual who gave support to the very regime that suppresses human rights in China today.
The Canadian government should not be involved in spending tax payers’ money to heap praise upon such an individual. If those in the private sector wish to do so, then that is their democratic right.
The Nazis developed the drug dolophine, now known as methadone, a drug that has saved the lives of countless opioid dependent individuals. However, no one would endorse a government shrine to Adolf Hitler. Dr. Mark A. Greenberg, Toronto.

Dr. Conway quotes “a notable politician of the time” who calls Norman Bethune “a man who is of value to the people”.
The outrage in this affair is unrelated to Bethune’s medical “creativity.” The outrage is about Ottawa blowing $2.5-million on a man who hitched his wagon to a Long March to the most murderous regime of all time. Was the Post employing irony when it headlined Dr. Conway’s letter, “Norman Bethune’s ideas have saved many lives?” Communist ideas have degraded and destroyed more lives than any sordid ideology in human history.
Bethune’s “spirit” was “very useful to the people” only in that he was a useful idiot for the People’s Republic. To Canada’s shame, instead of investing in a memorial honouring the victims of communism, we are subsidizing a tourist trap at the birthplace of one of its stooges. Gary McGregor, Ladner, B.C.

Males excel at certain things

Re: Wikipedia’s Woman Problem, Torie Bosch, July 17.
This article notes: “9% of Wiki editors are women … the gender gap is better than it was — in the early ’00s, it was more like 3%.” Is 9% really “better” than 3%? Keep in mind that encyclopedias are collections of facts. Men are drawn to facts much more than women are. Of course, a lot of the facts that men collect are not very useful, which is one reason why women don’t waste time seeking them out.
Moreover, men are instinctively drawn to collecting as an activity, which is why some become editors of encyclopedias. Another example is bird-watching, a hobby that is almost 100% male. Women view backyard bird-feeders as a way of helping the birds survive. Men erect them, hoping to see breeds or behaviours they’ve never seen before.
Recently, I saw two female Hairy Woodpeckers exhibiting mutual hostility by holding their heads upward. Not having seen that behaviour before, I scoured the Internet until I finally found that this type of behaviour had indeed been noticed by another bird enthusiast.
“Bingo!” I cried out, before making a note in the bird book. What a satisfying waste of time. Lionel Albert, Knowlton, Que.

Allow Black to keep his Order

Re: More Deserving Than Ever, Robert Fulford, July 14.
Maybe the standard for removing someone’s Order of Canada should be whether he or she was convicted in Canada (with exceptions for clear cut crimes of a heinous nature). If half of what I read about the U.S. justice system is accurate, a person’s innocence or guilt thereunder would seem to be far from assured.
Conrad Black should have the benefit of our doubt. Dave Paddon, St. John’s, N.L.

Arab Spring is not about democracy

Re: The Other Promised Land, Jonathan Kay, July 18.
Thanks for this important column on the historical background of the current Syrian government. I’m no Middle East scholar, but I’m old enough to remember how surprised many of us were when Yugoslavia fell apart. Non-historians were shocked to learn that it was made up of disparate groups of people who basically hated each other, mainly for religious reasons.
Nowadays, the “useful idiots” in the West (as Lenin would say) automatically assume that if citizens of a country, particularly in the Middle East, start shooting at their government, it’s because they just want a democratic government like ours. As we are seeing in Egypt, Libya and now Syria, it’s not that simple. In nearly all cases so far, the unrest is driven by religious tensions, not a desire for democracy. Al King, Calgary.

Healthcare double standard?

Re: Star Slugger Bautista Hurt In Jays’ Loss, John Lott, July 17.
How nice that Jose Bautista only had to wait a day before getting an MRI after injuring his wrist. Myself, I waited two months, and I know of people who had to wait even longer. But then, Mr. Bautista is a baseball superstar, and deserves every consideration. It doesn’t matter in the least that his “illness” is insignificant compared to mine. Alun Hughes, Thorold, Ont.

A judge’s private life

Re: All Conspiring Against Me: Witness, Christie Blatchford, July 18.
In completely missing the point, Christie Blatchford, in fact, demonstrates the point of the Judicial Council’s inquiry into the conduct of Associate Chief Justice Lori Douglas. In posing for sexually explicit photographs taken by a husband who was purportedly in the throes of a nervous breakdown, Justice Douglas put herself at risk of precisely what is happening right now. This is exactly why extensive and highly personal background checks are carried out on prospective members of the judiciary and police forces, so as to avoid future blackmail-like events against those who are in positions that wield a great deal of power. Pam Shaw, Delta, B.C.

Don’t overlook Ian Millar

Re: Triathlete Simon Whitfield Chosen To Lead Canada Into Olympic Games, July 13.
As laudable and popular a selection as Olympic gold and silver triathlete Simon Whitfield is to have been chosen as Canada’s Opening Ceremony flag-bearer at this year’s London Olympics, perhaps the more deserving (and sentimental) choice would have been equestrian Ian Millar.
2012 will mark the silver-medalist rider’s record-setting 10th Olympiad. (Number 11 if not for the the 1980 Moscow Olympics boycott.) Holding the Maple Leaf seems just reward for his dedication and ability to hold on to the Canadian reins for so long. I doubt whether we’ll see another 65 year-old with such competitive spirit and unrivalled endurance come our way again soon.
Canada’s Olympic committee might still recognize Mr. Millar’s unprecedented achievement on the Olympic stage, by honouring him as flag-bearer for the closing ceremony.
Riding in on horse-back would surely set yet another standard for Canadian Olympic spectacle. Mark S. Rash, Winnipeg.

Early Tuesday morning, after two people died and 24 were hurt in Monday night’s shooting on Danzig St. in Scarborough at a community barbeque, an emotional Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair had this to say:

“I’ve been a cop for 35 years and this is the worst incident of gun violence, in my memory, anywhere in North America.”

It was said in the immediate aftermath of a shocking display of violence against largely innocent partygoers, but it was, nevertheless, inaccurate.

“It’s a terrible case,” agreed Scot Wortley, an associate professor of criminology at the University of Toronto’s Centre for Criminology and Sociological Studies. “I don’t know how you rank such cases but I think that you could probably find a large number of cases in North America where the death toll was significantly higher than the Scarborough shooting.”

Mark Blinch/ReutersPolice officers watch over what appears to be a dead body at the Scarborough crime scene early this morning.

Toronto and Montreal have the lowest homicide rates of any major North American city of a similar size, said Mr. Worley. The risk of dying a violent death, he said, may be increasing for a young male living in an economically and socially disadvantaged community.

“The rest of us, the average citizen, particularly if you are over 30 and live in a middle-class community, you are safer in Canada than you have ever been.”

From 1991 to 2010, the number of firearm-related incidents involving multiple victims in Canada peaked in 1991 with 25 such incidents, according to the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. It was at its lowest in 2010 at 12 shootings.

A look at a selection of the most violent mass shootings in the United States and Canada in the last 35 years.

UNITED STATES

Virginia Tech
33 dead, including killer Seung-Hui Cho, and at least 17 injured at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on April 16, 2007. Cho, who had earlier been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, shot himself in the head after the attack.

Luby’s Cafeteria
24 dead, including killer George Hennard in Killeen Texas on Oct. 16, 1991. Hennard drove his pick-up truck into the cafeteria, started firing at random and then killed himself after being wounded by police officers.

San Ysidro
22 dead, including killer James Oliver Huberty in San Ysidro, Calif., on July 18, 1984. Huberty was shot dead by a police officer.

FilesA memorial to Virginia Tech victims.

University of Texas
17 dead, including killer Charles Whitman, and 31 injured after Whitman opened fire from the university’s clock tower on Aug. 1, 1966.

Columbine High School
15 dead, 26 injured when students Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17 opened fire at the high school in Littleton, Colorado before killing themselves on April 20, 1999.

Wah Mee club
13 dead, one injured after three men opened gunfire in Seattle’s Chinatown club in February 1983.

Fort Hood
13 dead, 29 injured. U.S. Army Major Nidal Hasan, who was paralyzed from the chest down after getting shot by two police officers, is accused in the November 5, 2009 shooting.

CANADA

Phil Carpenter/Postmedia News filesPolice help out shooting victims at Dawson College in Montreal.

Concordia University
4 dead, one injured at the Montreal university on Aug. 24, 1992. Valery Fabrikant, an assoicate professor of mechanical engineering at the time at Concordia, is serving a life sentence in prison.

Dawson College
2 dead, including shooter Kimveer Gill, and 19 injured in Montreal’s Dawson College on September 13, 2006.

Mayor Rob Ford can’t turn a blind eye to the “significant problem” of gun violence in Toronto just because statistics say it’s a safe city, a councillor warned today after a brazen shooting left two people dead and 26 injured.

“Yes, statistically we’re a very safe city but we have some very scared neighbourhoods that need our help and it has got to come in a flood of ideas. To declare us safe and not to recognize the fear is to turn a blind eye to probably the most significant problem facing the city right now.”

Shooters peppered an outdoor neighbourhood party on Danzig St. in Scarborough with bullets on Monday night, sending attendees, including a 22-month-old child, to hospital with gunshot wounds.

The two victims who died have been identified as 14-year-old Shyanne Charles of Toronto, and 23-year-old Joshua Yasay of Ajax.

Tuesday morning, Mr. Ford emphasized that he believed Toronto is the safest city in the world, despite the brazen shootings.

“We have a couple of unfortunate, isolated incidents.… I know this is the safest city in the world, I’ve always said that and I truly believe that it is. And the numbers show that,” he said.

“So, everyone has to move on and carry on with their life, and the most important thing right now is that we apprehend these suspects and let the courts proceed as they may.”

Surveying the scene of the crimes, Ford said the remnants of the crime resembled the “aftermath of a party except for a lot of gun casings.”

Vaughan believes the incident demands a quick response from the city. He wants councillors to “have a conversation” before the next meeting in October about funding for Toronto Community Housing, about adding youth workers in vulnerable communities, and looking at police staffing levels.

“We have fewer officers on the street, and fewer people patrolling than at any time in my life, in particular in the last two years,” said Mr. Vaughan, who blames Ford’s “austerity budget” for pushing a hiring freeze in the force.

He said he hopes the police chief’s decision to redeploy officers into Scarborough is not at the expense of other areas that need them.

“Otherwise we’re chasing gunfire around the city and not staying put and remedying problems that were significant enough to demand the resources,” said Mr. Vaughan.

Councillor Michael Thompson blasted his colleague for injecting political rhetoric and grandstanding into Monday’s tragic events.

“There is a lot of austerity talk at City Hall, but really the resources are available to invest in communities,” he said, noting that the city, the federal government and private donors have dedicated more then $200 millions to at risk areas in recent years.

“We could spend $1-billion more and you could still have these hardened individuals who will take matters in their own hands and resolve disputes with guns,” he said.

Darren Calabrese / National Post A young man looks out his apartment door as police officers investigate the scene of a shooting in Toronto on Tuesday morning that left two people dead and many others injured.

“I believe it’s important for us to invest in our communities… but I don’t believe you simply throw more money and that’s the solution. I don’t think the outreach workers would have prevented anything last night and I dare say they would have been running for their lives.”

Toronto police said they are “very concerned” about retaliatory violence after what’s being called the worst incident of gun violence in the city’s recent history.

The gunfight, which appeared to involve two shooters who were targeting each other, had all the hallmarks of gang violence, Chief Bill Blair said.

“We are very concerned not only with the quick resolution and solving of this crime, but the potential for retaliatory violence, which we often see in this type of event,” Blair said.

“There is strong indication that there may have been a gang involvement and individuals who are associated to gangs. That is being actively pursued and investigated.

He noted police would flood the area with uniformed officers over the next few weeks.

At least a dozen police cruisers lined an east Toronto street Tuesday morning as residents stopped to gape at the scene of the shooting that also left three others, including a pregnant woman, with injuries after they were trampled as people fled the scene.

Police initially reported 21 people were injured by gunshots but upgraded the number to 25 on Tuesday afternoon. One other person was injured after being trampled by the crowd.

Darran Calabrese An emotional Shannon Longshaw reacts at the crime scene where police officers are investigating the shooting that killed two people. Longshaw helped organize the party where the shooting happened.

“Officers who attended the scene last night observed a chaotic one, with people fleeing on foot and in motor vehicles. This is completely understandable due to the nature of the event and the circumstances,” Det. Sgt. Graham Gibson said.

“However, there is no doubt in my mind that there were persons in attendance at this function who know the identity of those responsible for the murders and woundings of these citizens.”

Some of the wounded, aged between one and 33-years old, have been treated and released. One man is undergoing surgery and remains in critical condition.

Homicide investigators have been working “relentlessly through the night” and interviewing scores of witnesses after the shooting, Blair said. They have also asked party-goers to use a police website, that allows for anonymity, to post photos or videos taken immediately before, during and after the shooting.

According to Caitlin Barras, a former classmate of 14-year-old Charles, she was a kind girl.

“She was funny and just a nice person,” she said.

At the bus shelter outside of the housing complex, a makeshift memorial for the Charles has been taped to the window.

The poster reads: “Forever in our heart, #PrayForShyanne.”

Blair told reporters Tuesday that police were probing possible gang links, as social media was abuzz Tuesday with talk of potential retribution.

“We believe from information that we have received to date that this altercation involved two individuals and as a result there was an exchange of gunfire,” he said.

Police described the shootout, which involved multiple guns, as an “unprecedented” episode of violence.

Blair claimed the incident was “shocking to every Torontonian.”

“I think it will be shocking to all of Canada,” he said Monday night from the scene of the crime. “The level of violence is something we have never experienced.”

The shootout occurred at 10:40 p.m. at a crowded barbecue in east end Toronto. Police say shots were fired by multiple individuals following a dispute on Danzig Street, near Morningside Avenue and Lawrence Avenue East in Scarborough, about 20 km from downtown.

“I’ve been a cop for 35 years and this is the worst incident of gun violence, in my memory, anywhere in North America,” said Chief Blair said earlier at a 1 a.m. press conference at the scene.

One “person of interest” was injured in the gunfight and was taken into custody, but police were still appealing for witnesses to help identify the other possible shooters.

Mark Blinch/ReutersPolice officers watch over what appears to be a dead body at the Scarborough crime scene early this morning.

The brand new head of the Toronto Community Housing Corporation, Detroit area native Gene Jones, said the gun violence in Toronto is more brazen than the gun violence where he’s from.

“In Michigan, you can get a gun, you can get a concealed weapon, but they’re not shooting like that. A pop here, a pop there. But not like was happening here last night, and today. I don’t understand it,” Mr. Jones told reporters gathered near the scene of the shooting.

Mr. Jones, who who ran the Detroit Housing Commission before joining as president and CEO of TCHC, said the housing authority has a ‘no guns and no drugs policy’ on its property. But he says the issue is about “young people who have an opportunity to have guns and shoot them at will.”

Local Councillor Ron Moeser expressed outrage at the “senseless act of violence” and offered condolences to the victims.

“The Danzig neighbourhood where this incident took place has been a quiet community and an incident of this magnitude is both shocking and unexpected,” the Scarborough East councillor, who was released from hospital following a surgery late Monday, said in a statement. His office is working with Toronto police’s 43 division and TCHC officials to help people feel safe.

Darren Calabrese / National PostToronto mayor Rob Ford, left, is escorted through the crime scene where police officers are investigating a shooting on Tuesday morning. The shooting left two people dead and many others injured late Monday night.

“A community that is celebrating should have every expectation to enjoy themselves on a summer evening, and not have this scale of violence brought into their community,” he said.

A number of area residents took to social media in the aftermath of the gunfire to express their shock at the violence.

“I’m praying for the people out there, now I’m hearing my family got shot,” said one woman. “I just seen a 19 year old die. Honestly things just need to be peaceful.”

Another young woman posted about 17 ambulances gathering outside her building and expressed her concern at the state of the neighbourhood.

“I see rum and beer on the ground and there is blood on my foot,” she wrote. “(They) were spraying bullets at random people in my neighbourhood.”

That party was supposed to have been on Sunday. Organizers rescheduled for Monday on account of rain.

Some people shed tears as they spoke with officers while others watched crews work from behind a police perimeter.

Ann-Marie Williams always avoids the annual community gathering in the Danzig Street townhouse complex. But her children went on Monday.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Aaron Vincent ElkaimPolice stand on guard on Tuesday near the scene of the shooting.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

So when gunfire rang out, she went out looking for her son, her daughter and her niece.

“There’s screaming everywhere,” she said. “I don’t know if they got shot. I have no idea.”

When Ms. Williams found them, her 20-year-old daughter was crying, saying she had felt the bullets breeze past her head. One of her friends was among the wounded who were scattered along the lawns and sidewalk at the corner of Danzig and Morningside, Ms. Williams said.

Other residents who poured into the street to help after the shooting said that a pregnant woman was trampled in the chaos following the gun fight.

“I’m used to it,” she Ms. Williams. “Wherever you go it’s always this person fighting that person. You can’t get away from it.”

Toronto EMS said 16 ambulances, including a specialized bus, brought victims to several different trauma units across the city. Emergency Task Force officers, equipped with rifles and body armour, were on scene, along with members of the Guns and Gangs task force.

Michelle Siu for National Post

Officers have been called in from surrounding divisions to assist in the investigation, which is being led by the homicide unit.

By 3 a.m., a three-block perimeter was still cordoned off along Morningside Avenue. The street was lined with at least 30 police vehicles.

Two TTC officials were parked outside the police tape, keeping an eye on a bus that was trapped inside the crime scene after driving along Morningside shortly after shots were fired.

The shooting is already raising fears about the use of guns in a city that takes pride in its relatively low crime rate compared with U.S. urban centers.

Monday night’s shooting came just weeks after a gunman opened fire in a crowded food court at Toronto’s Eaton Centre. One man was killed instantly, another died of his injuries days later and several bystanders were sent to hospital.

As well, a man was gunned down at a cafe in Toronto’s Little Italy on June 18.

And Jane Creba, 15, died after getting caught in the crossfire of a shootout between rival gangs through a crowd of Boxing Day shoppers on Yonge Street during the 2005 Christmas holiday.

Police are asking anyone with information on the shooting to call 43 Division at 416-808-4300 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

National Post with files from Jake Edmiston, Kristin Annable, Megan O’Toole, Natalie Alcoba and Allison Cross, National Post and The Canadian Press

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9wlXtmjsNE&w=620&h=349]
]]>http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/math-doesnt-matter-rob-ford-cant-turn-blind-eye-to-toronto-gun-violence-after-fatal-shooting-says-councillor/feed/7stdScarborough shootingToronto gun attack graphicA young man looks out his apartment door as police officers investigate the scene of a shooting in Toronto on Tuesday morning that left two people dead and many others injured. An emotional Shannon Longshaw reacts at the crime scene where police officers are investigating the shooting that killed two people. Longshaw organized helped organize the party where the shooting happened. Toronto-ShootingToronto mayor Rob Ford, left, is escorted through the crime scene where police officers are investigating a shooting on Tuesday morning. The shooting left two people dead and many others injured late Monday night. Toronto-Shooting-day2CLICK TO ENLARGEMichelle Siu for National PostMarni Soupcoff: The Scarborough shooting and Toronto’s (relatively) fledgling gun violence problemhttp://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/marni-soupcoff-the-scarborough-shooting-and-torontos-relatively-fledgling-gun-violence-problem
http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/marni-soupcoff-the-scarborough-shooting-and-torontos-relatively-fledgling-gun-violence-problem#commentsTue, 17 Jul 2012 16:27:32 +0000http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/?p=85152

At the scene of an awful shooting (is there any other kind?) in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough Monday night, Toronto police chief Bill Blair, sounding shaky, declared, “This is the worst incident of gun violence anywhere in North America. It’s very shocking. A lot of innocent people were injured.”

Mr. Blair was quite right, I think, about those last two things: Two young people were killed and 19 more were injured (including a toddler) by the gunfire, which broke out unexpectedly in the middle of an outdoor neighbourhood barbecue.

By Toronto standards, this is indeed shocking. Even in high-crime cities like Chicago and Detroit — the latter of which has already seen 184 murders this year, compared to Toronto’s 28 — having so many people injured in a single incident is unusual. The more common scenario is for one gunman to shoot (“pop”) one other person, perhaps grazing a single bystander when things go awry, not for bullets to fly all over the place, putting the number of injured into double digits.

As far as innocence goes, we are hearing that police believe the Scarborough shootings were probably gang related (ya think?). But so far there is no reason to believe that most, if any, of the victims themselves had gang ties.

Yet Mr. Blair is surely mistaken about that first bit — that this was the worst incident of gun violence anywhere in North America. Thirty-two people were killed and 17 wounded in the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007. Six people were killed and 12 injured in the Arizona attack on U.S. congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords last year. Thirteen were fatally shot by an army psychiatrist in Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009. And the Columbine High School shooters went on a rampage that killed 12 students and one teacher (and ended with them killing themselves by gunshot) in 1999.

In all, what happened in Scarborough was terrible, but not the most terrible shooting the continent has ever seen — certainly not the deadliest.

Mr. Blair knows this, I’m sure, and was probably carried away with emotion at the time he made the statement. More recent stories are quoting him as calling the Scarborough shooting the worst Toronto has ever seen, which it surely is. But it’s useful to dwell on Mr. Blair’s exaggeration for a moment because I think it captures the bewilderment that he and other Torontonians are feeling about this and the Eaton Centre shooting. It’s a “What the hell is going on here?” kind of reaction, not so much because people are killing other people with guns (that’s happened here before, and it happens far more often in other places) but because people are going about it so clumsily, recklessly and indiscriminately.

These shooters not just “popping” a rival; they’re spraying bullets everywhere and hitting large groups of random people who standing around in a food court minding their own business, or enjoying a summer barbecue with their children. It’s this blundering aspect of the shootings — it’s tempting to call them amateurish, though that seems somehow inappropriate — that sets off alarm bells and makes the incidents seem truly different from the ones that usually take place in North America. How to put it without sounding crass or glib? I can’t think of a way. Because the truly remarkable thing about the Scarborough incident, and the one at the Eaton Centre that came before it, is that most shooters have better aim.

I’m not sure where one takes this as far as policy recommendations go — it seems unlikely there will be an appetite to offer firearms instructions to the city’s gang members to ensure that when they set out to seek revenge on a rival, they will be less likely to mow down an entire crowd. And I wouldn’t recommend it if there were.

However, it’s worth recognizing the absurd truth that the ill effects of Toronto’s gun and gang violence problems are being exacerbated by their relative newness.

The players are especially dangerous because they are bumbling and inept in meting out punishment with a gun; and they are bumbling and inept because they lack experience — there simply isn’t the strong decades-long tradition of gangs and guns in Toronto that give criminals in the Baltimores and L.A.s of the world the “training” that makes them less chaotically and unpredictably violent. Baltimore shootings are great in number and tragic in consequences. But they are rarely a surprise.

There may, therefore, be a silver lining to the cloud that has descended on this city. Toronto does have a gun violence problem, but comparatively speaking, it is a fledgling one, and that may mean that we still have a chance to contain it.

As long as crimes such as the Scarborough shooting continue to startle Toronto profoundly, including the city’s police chief, we’ve still got a chance.